This block focuses on basic measures that journalists and moderators can adopt in dealing with hostile voices online. These strategies aim to help journalists depersonalize and contextualize attacks as a means to prevent the potential emotional impact. This video will cover the following topics:
- Dealing with hostile voices: Basic measures
- Stop, pause and think
- Reaffirm the obvious to yourself
- Dealing with hostile voices: Reaffirming the obvious
- “This isn’t the audience, it’s just a fraction of it”
- “These people don’t know me, they are targeting a fantasy projection of me, e.g., ‘the journalists’”
- “Impugning my motives deprives them of the opportunity of genuine understanding”
- Find ways to depersonalize the attacks: Separate your professional identity from your personal persona
- Use humour against abusive messages
- Visualization strategies: Mannequin technique
- Consider using compassion
- Responding to campaigns aiming to smear and discredit
- Don’t get drawn into an argument
- Resourcing: Remind yourself where your strengths lie
- Solidarity: Resort to counter speech to support your colleagues
This series of video tutorials has been developed in cooperation with the Dart Centre Europe.